CPU Frequency Processor Speed

[happer7]

Hi, I have an Intel Core 2 Duo E8500. It is meant to be running at 3.16 but when I go into the bios under it, it says under it 1200Mhz isn't this wrong? When I go into windows to check this it says the processor name then 3.16 and then 1.26 after it. The bios version is v02.58. How do I get it to operate at its normal speed?

Thanks Will

 

[techgeek]

This is most likely Intel SpeedStep at work. Try something that will stress all the cores like Prime 95, the core frequency should bump up to 3.16GHz.

 

[spdragoo]

Download & recheck it with CPU-Z. It'll show the rated speed for your CPU. Most likely, though, the lower speed is just a 'downclock' it does when it's idling along.

If you want to see how it's dynamically performing, download & install CoreTemp. You'll not only see your individual core temperatures, but you'll also see the current core speeds change as the workload changes.

 

[happer7]

This is most likely Intel SpeedStep at work. Try something that will stress all the cores like Prime 95, the core frequency should bump up to 3.16GHz.

It still hasn't changed, anything else I can do?

 

[techgeek]

Can you download CPU-Z and have Prime 95 running and take as screenshot of CPU-Z and post it here? This should give the most accurate information on what is happening with your system. The reason I ask that you run Prime95 is so that a load is on the CPU which will force it to run it's highest multiplier.

It's weird that it's 1.2GHz since the FSB of that CPU is 1333MHz. For instance my wife's computer has a Q6600 in it, the FSB is 1066MHz (bus speed of 266.67) and it drops to 1600MHz when idle which is essentially a multiplier of 6. Your E8500 has a bus speed of 333MHz (FSB of 1333) so 1200MHz isn't a whole number multiplier.